You know, it's very hard to spray when Fate doesn't cooperate.

denninmi(8a)April 25, 2012

If it's not raining or threatening rain, we seem to have tropical storm force winds blowing. I really need to get a spray on, it's petal fall on cherries, plums, peaches. (Gave up on apricots, I don't think they set much of anything).

I mentioned in a different thread, but my trees have entered some kind of suspended state. Blossoms that have opened weeks (about 70%) ago still have petals. Blossoms that have partially opened have stayed that way. Bees are still buzzing around, so I don't want to spray.

The wind finally settled down here in South Ga so I sprayed today about five gallons of captan. I sprayed just Captan but I wanted to tank mix Triazicide with the captan but got scared with the temperature on the rise. I'll wait and spray the Triazicide in a couple of days.

BTW, of late after my pump quiets picking picking up in the tank, I add a more water then use that to spray my roses. A good use for tank wash seems like.

Usually good spray weather coincides with the appearance of the insects you need to protect against- the warm still days. I've never had weather prevent me from protecting all the orchards I manage and they take a week of decent spray conditions to cover. As long as you understand how much rain will wash things off and how long it takes for pesticides to set, one orchard shouldn't be too hard.

Harvestman - the orchards you manage are probably laid out in a sensible manner, with apples next to apples, peaches next to peaches. Whereas we idiotic home growers will plant a peach next to an apple, then have to try to spray the one without killing the bees just starting to gather on the other, a few feet away.

Well, it isn't that I absolutely COULDN'T spray in the conditions we've had, its just that it becomes an extremely unpleasant task in 40 mph, cold wind. I've done it enough times to know I don't enjoy getting a face full of spray blowing back at me.

Yeah, that sounds like me too. I have my columnar peach tucked into a spot surrounded by azaleas and Korean spice viburnum - all in full bloom right now, when I need to protect my young peaches. I sprayed on a still morning, being careful to aim away from the flowers. Then I took about five buckets of water and washed down the nearby shrubs and flowers.

I can't spray in strong winds either. I bet you don't have any PC scars yet and they won't show up until the wind subsides.

Den, my point is that during periods where spraying is not tenible, insect activity tends to be low. The message was intended to give hope (not to brag at your expense) because I know how crazy it can make you trying to get spray down in difficult conditions. I don't sleep a lot in early spring- believe me, but if I only had a couple hours of spraying to do it wouldn't be too difficult.